Postcard From Italy
by Lady Bee
Summary: He wasn't a fucking poet, but he had to admit that the wine, the moon, the stars and Arya were giving him an artistic soul; or maybe it was just Italy and its ability to add a twist of drama and comedy to everyone's life and nature. Modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Postcard From Italy**

What happens to Snow in summer? It melts! What happens to Jon Snow when he decides to go on a trip all over Italy in the middle of the summer? Quite the same!

Truth be told, he would have gladly gone to France, Germany, even somewhere in South America, being Chile his preference. Like his surname implied, he was far too used to the cold weather to ever consider the possibility of venturing in any tropical place, or Italy for that matter.

It was Robb's idea and Jeyne was enthusiastic about having a romantic night in Venice, an afternoon with Michelangelos' in Florence and a grand finale in Rome. The Italian tour was full of art museums, churches, pasta, wine, and dehydration. He wasn't built for such a place. Not that Italy wasn't lovely, but it was maddening hot in summer and he wouldn't mind if the weather got a bit cooler.

If it wasn't for Arya's infinite requests for him to come along, Jon would be at home, with his favorite book, enjoying a peaceful vacation. Still, he couldn't understand why he agreed to accompany Robb, Jeyne and Arya. In fact he never got why Arya was there in the first place. Probably there was a mysterious plan to get him mad, or simply to watch him get sunburned.

"You look like someone who could use a gelato." Her voice broke his line of thought. Arya was there, with her full smile and a cone in hand. Well…Gelatos were the only thing that made that trip tolerable.

"Sure thing." He said accepting her offer. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, I am. It would be better if you could pretend to be enjoying too. You look like someone who swallowed a shoe." She teased as she usually did. Jon smiled at her.

"You know me. I like my cave, as you like to call it. And frankly, it's too hot for me." It was his usual answer. Arya rolled her eyes and poked his abdomen.

"You boring old man."

"Remind me again what am I doing here when it's plain enough that Robb and Jeyne would rather be alone." Jon insisted and Arya bitted her inferior lip.

"You are here because you are lovely and gave me the perfect excuse to come along. I don't give a shit about Robb and Jeyne being in a sort of honeymoon. I wanted to travel, I had the money, and father would never allow me to come along if there wasn't someone, said you, to make sure that I wouldn't spoil my big brother's vacation."

"I'm your babysitter than?" Jon defied her. Arya had always hated whenever he implied that she was a child.

"I would rather say that you are my trip buddy, but you are the worst companion ever! Come on, Jon. We should be making the most of it. Venice, Florence, Rome, there's literally nothing for you to hate about these cities. You love art, history and you are kind of a gladiator fetishist. I don't get why you are being so grumpy about it, and don't fucking tell me it's because of the heat."

"Ok, fine! I'll do my best to not spoil your vacations, you little brat." He said while he grabbed her by the waist with both of his arms and spinet her around like he used to do when she was ten. Oh God, things used to be simple back then.

It had been quite a quest that trip. Since the beginning he found himself trapped with Arya more often than not, starting with the fact that they were sharing the same hotel room. Robb and Jeyne usually got locked up in their room after dinner and Jon had to entertain Arya for the evening.

It was better to stay out doors with her, first and foremost because little Arya was no more. She was his best friend's little sister, but he never understood when she went from a tomboy girl to an alluring and extravagant young woman. When they were young she was all about scratched knees and bruised arms she owned in a football match, or a fight. Now she was quite refined about her taste in photography, music and art. She was aspiring to be an architect, and no doubt she would do just fine in college.

He wished that he could understand when she became so damn stunning! It was getting him mad, literally. It was hell hot in Italy, they were having dinner together every night, they were sharing a room and who cares about twin beds, anyway?! If she had given him a chance, any chance, he would have made it up for all of his sour moods. If only she saw him as a man and not as some kind of sexless creature, like one of Raffaello's androgenic angels!

In Venice they spent a whole day sightseeing and taking vaporetos. She bought him a Venetian mask to thank him for his company. A Pierrot mask, with a teardrop falling from the right eye. He was the sad clown. What an accurate observation.

That night Robb and Jeyne decided to have a romantic gondola cruise at the Grand Canal, leaving Jon and Arya alone to explore the city. They had dinner in a quiet and cozy restaurant with a lot of wine to pull everything down.

To say that they got drunk was an understatement. They were beyond drunkenness, to the point of making fool of themselves by dancing tango at the Piazza Di San Marco. Jon grabbed her by the waist turning her around and trying to do his best to stand up on his feet.

She was dazzling that night, with her grey short dress and lips painted red. Arya danced with him and her laugh was his favorite song. Jon thought about kissing her there and then. Maybe that trip could turn their awkward friendship into something else. Thank God he was too drunk to try anything else at the hotel. Jon felt a slept as soon as he reached his bed. Given the circumstances it was for the best. It was their first day in Italy and he didn't want to spoil it by fucking Arya senseless and imposing an awkward situation to everyone else during vacations.

Well…He must add that Arya wasn't helping a single bit by wearing those shorts and light transparent blouses. Jumping on top of him every morning to wake him up wasn't helping either. No wonder his humor was so sour and grumpy. Arya was planning to kill him with frustration.

Since he was somehow attracted to her and nothing good could come out of a one night stand with Arya Stark, Jon tried to conceal his frustration with gelatos; tons of it to be more accurate. The sweetness and coolness of the Italian ice cream was at least efficient against the heat.

They were exploring Florence that day. They enjoyed Michelangelo's sculptures at the museum and after lunch Arya spent a good hour taking pictures of the Santa Maria Dei Fiore. The impeccable combination of three different colors of marble that made Jon think about a woman's beauty portrait in a Renascence kind of art; delicate, sophisticated, exquisite. They went to the riverbank to see the Ponte Vecchio and Jon noticed the quantity of padlocks hanged in the chains of the bridge. Some of them had letters carved, others had hearts. He wondered about the meaning of it.

"They are all love promises." Arya's voice sounded near. She was holding one of the locks in her hand as if it was some kind of jewelry.

"I've heard that if a couple puts the lock in the chain and throw the key in the river it means that the lover's bond become eternal." Jeyne said in a dreaming tone.

"And that is the reason why I bought this for us." Robb kissed his bride cheek before putting a padlock in her hands.

"You two get a room!" Arya shouted bluntly. "Oh, come on! Being around you love birds is killing me and Jon."

"Say it for yourself. I'm totally ok with it. You were the one who insisted in accompany them in this trip." Jon answered with a laugh.

"You could give me some back up here, Jon." Arya replied.

"You know what? Jon is right about it. You were the one who insisted. Maybe you two should get a room. It will work wonders in your humors. You are dragging Jon around for a week, the guy is being the epitome of patience and you don't let the poor man have a minute for himself. Jon could find a girl in Italy, but you are ruining all his chances. No wonder he is in such a bad humor." Robb replied bluntly, making both Jon and Arya uncomfortable.

Robb and Jeyne putted the lock in the chain. Unfortunately nobody had warned them that the practice had been forbidden in the late years. Robb got pissed off about the fee he had to pay and Jeyne got terribly disappointed. The couple decided to retire to their room early that night, letting Jon and Arya by themselves again.

He got to their room to find Arya wrapped in a towel. Her short hair still wet, while she was brushing her teeth. Really. Share a room with your new found sexual fantasy without having any kind of sexual intercourse. Hell of an idea! He was feeling more like a landscape every day, or maybe like one of her siblings. It was getting on his nerves and from time to time Jon wondered if she was truly naïve, or if everything had been meticulously calculated.

"Thought you would be ready by now." He said while unbuttoning his shirt. Well…If she could walk around the room wearing nothing but pants and bra, she could deal with him walking around in his boxers as well.

"I've lost the notion of time." She shouted from the restroom. "What do you wanna do?"

"Dunno. Maybe go for a walk and have dinner somewhere nice. And please, let's have a real meal. I'm done with carbs."

"Oh! I can swear that you've just read my mind. I'm dying for a steak!" She came out of the bathroom wearing jeans and a light blue blouse. Her lips were painted with vermilion lipstick.

"A bloody steak, some salad, a good wine. That sounds like heaven to me." Jon answered trying to ignore her tantalizing figure.

"You forgot the gelato." Arya said throwing a towel at him.

"You and your gelatos will make me as fat as Sam." He laughed.

"Maybe I like chubby guys. Go take a shower, caveman." Jon needed no further encouragement to do so.

They left the hotel about fifteen minutes later and for a change the night was breezy and much more pleasant than he had given it credit for. Italian nights; that was something he was quite fond of.

His humor had improved since afternoon, maybe because of Robb's blunt statement. So it was obvious to everyone that something was off about Jon and Arya during that trip, he just wasn't sure if it was mere unsettled sexual tension, or something else. Arya was making a spectacular effort to call his attention with all kind of provocation. He often wondered if it was all about physical attraction or if she wasn't over her crush for him yet.

Oh, that had never been a real secret. All the Stark's knew that Arya had been in love with him for most of her teenage years, until she started dating Gendry. The relationship lasted about three years and since they would attend college in different cities they decided to break up. Jon, on the other hand, had never been distant given the fact that he had been Robb's best friend since ever.

Ned Stark had always been sure about Jon being trustworthy and there was no surprise when he gave his permission to Arya accompanies him and Robb in their trip. In fact he was quite sure that most of the Stark's believed that Jon had no blood in his veins, or was positively gay, since they acted as if Arya sharing a room with a guy was something perfectly acceptable.

He talked about it with Robb before they got into that plane. His friend seemed to be perfectly at ease with the whole thing. _"As if we could stop Arya if she decides to hang out with a guy or another. Believe me, Jon. If she put her heart at something she will get it no matter what. I honestly think that she has no hopes of taking your virtue or something. If she still has a thing for you, I can at least have some comfort in the fact that she chose you and not Theon."_

Sometimes he doubted that Arya could ever premeditate anything, but there was also those furtive moments when Jon was resolute about her mischievous mind. There was a kind of game going on, and he wasn't sure about how well he could play it.

At the restaurant everything was just fine. They got a table for two and a bottle of wine to go with the steak both of them were craving for. She was pretty in an unusual way, Jon concluded. It was a beauty that grew by the hour, as you talked to her and let her charms and wit get under your skin.

"Jon, are you listening?" Her voice dragged him out of his mind palace. It was when Jon noticed that he had been staring at her for far too long.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" He tried to be as polite as he could. Arya smirked at him.

"Never mind." She replied in annoyance. "Am I making you miserable in this trip? You know you can sneak away and find someone interesting or something."

"I'm not miserable, but I'll keep in mind that what you've said." Jon smirked in answer. "You know you can do just the same, don't you?"

"I'm fine this way, but I have to admit that Italian guys hold a certain appeal to me. It must be the beard." She said it after biting her lip.

"I'm sure it's their lovely temper and propensity to drama."

"Jon, dear. You are all the drama that I could require for. You are almost an opera."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You are tragic. I won't even mention your dramatic childhood, since I know how touchy you are about it. There is your thing for hopeless cases and each one of your ex-girlfriends can prove that. Last but not least, your prince charming complex. You are a walking opera." He gave her a skeptical look.

"Is that so? Well, if I am a walking opera, what would you be?" He asked with a hint of humor.

"I wish that I could say a road movie, but I guess you would think differently." She said winking at him. Jon laughed.

"I would say a Shakespeare comedy." He concluded. "You used to dress like a boy, just like Viola; but this whole trip thing makes me think about Midsummer Night Dream, and you are as bossy and demanding as Titania."

"What would that make of you?" She replied full of mischief and malice, while Jon wasn't as sober as he should be.

"Nick Bottom, perhaps." What the hell?! Arya laughed at the answer.

"The man with a donkey's head? You surely have enough hair to that." She teased him, pretending she hasn't understood the insinuation at all.

"I'll take that as a compliment since you've just said that you favor the bearded guys. Maybe one day you'll wake up madly in love with me." The answer came out of his lips immediately. Perhaps he should go easy with the wine and void to make fool of himself. It was Arya, for God's sake! She probably saw him as a part of the landscape or something like that.

"That wouldn't be the first time, would it?" She winked at him once more, making Jon speechless.

Well…That was the first time she actually admitted that she have had a thing for him, but it had been a long time ago and things have changed, haven't it? She was going to college and all that. There was a whole new world ahead of her and Arya would have all the freedom to explore it. She didn't need him anymore and maybe the Italian heat was just messing up with their heads.

"So…Tomorrow we will explore the Eternal City." She drastically changed the subject. "Any ideas of what we should do there?" Arya asked and if he was to be honest about the question he would have said "fuck like rabbits", but he was Jon Snow and he would never say that kind of thing to her even though he was seriously interested in that kind of possibility.

"The Coliseum, the Vatican, probably a dozen of different churches. I'm nearly converting to Catholicism because of this trip." He sipped his glass of wine after that. Sure he should get a grip over his thoughts about her and stop drinking for the sake of his sanity, but that was being a difficult night.

"You already practice celibacy, that shouldn't be difficult to you." Arya teased him. Oh if she only knew the kind of thoughts about her he have been nurturing since they entered that damn airplane…

The dinner went on and on with several caustic observations about his behavior during the trip. Talk about sexual frustration. Arya was literally driving him crazy with all the teasing and poking. The only thing he could think about was how he wanted to press her against one of those walls and kiss her under the moonlight. How he wanted to taste gelato from her lips and hear the soft moans escaping from her mouth when he went down on her.

They finished their supper and Jon suggested a leisure walk to help with the digestion (and the amount of wine consumed with the food). He wasn't sure if being in doors with her would be a wise idea at that point and the cool breeze was more likely to help him with the mood swings.

Arya grabbed his hand and pulled him around the ancient streets all the way to the Palazzo Vecchio. At such an hour, the place was considerably calmer and it was possible to actually admire the marble and bronze statues in display in the piazza.

Jon realized that he liked Florence better than Venice, mostly because he could walk anywhere without the risk of getting lost or drown in the canals. The smell was also better there and there were almost no rats in the streets, but what he liked the most was the possibility of being surprised by the masterpieces spread all over the city. Marble statues, unique architecture and history impregnate in every wall and every corner of the city along with the _fleur-de- lis,_ Florence's official coat of arms.

There was also something very feminine about Florence, very sweet and tempting, like a woman's kiss. He wasn't a fucking poet, but he had to admit that the wine, the moon, the stars and Arya were giving him an artistic soul; or maybe it was just Italy and its ability to add a twist of drama and comedy to everyone's life and nature.

They walked to the corridor made of statues that represented every important Florentine that ever lived. Artists, scientists, philosophers, politicians…A tribute to the most brilliant and talented minds of Renascence and the reason why Florence had been such an important place not only to Italian history and culture, but also for the humanity.

Perhaps it was the effect of the wine…_In vino veritas_, as the romans used to say, but the truth is that he was finding that particular Italian night quite lovely; especially the sight of Arya walking down the street, heading to the river side with her bold smile and flirty eyes.

Jon grabbed her by the wrist when she came near him. Arya looked at him puzzled, almost curious about what he had in mind. Jon spinet her around in an awkward attempt of a dance, just like they did in Venice except that there was no music. She laughed and there was nothing like the sound of her laugh and the Italian moonlight.

"What are you doing?" She asked still laughing at his drunken steps and pitiful attempts of keep his balance.

"Making of drunken dances a tradition between us." He said with a smirk on his lips and stars in his mind. "Maybe just trying to make up for all my latter grumpiness."

"You'll have to do more than this, you know?" She gave him a big smile, one with vermillion lips and sweet dimples on her cheeks. God! He loved whenever she did that! "You have been a royal pain in the ass until now."

"What else can I do to make it up to you?" He asked slowly, while swinging her in his arms to the rhythm of some imaginary tune. "I know! I could rent a Vespa when we arrive in Rome and drive you around the city as if you were Audrey Hepburn on that black and white movie that you like."

She laughed again, throwing her head back and giving Jon a great view of her neck line. That was too much for him to take, too much to resist. He could blame the wine latter, or maybe say that all the heat melted his brain to the point of making him do the most stupid things.

He pulled her back to him, making her lips collide with his own in the way. If she was taken by surprise, Arya never showed that. She sank her fingers in his hair when Jon pressed her against a wall to deepen the kiss. There was nothing shy about the way her tongue played with his and how she liked to bite his bottom lip. There was nothing innocent about the way her hands played around the waistline of his trousers or scratching his back under the t-shirt he was wearing. In fact it had been a while since the last time a girl kissed him back with so much enthusiasm.

When the kiss parted they were both breathless and dizzy. Jon had kissed away all her red lipstick and Arya had marked his neck and back with her long nail covered in black nail polish. She smiled at him a mischievously, making Jon kiss her again.

"We should take a taxi back to the hotel…" She said in a husky voice, close to his ear while Jon kissed her neck. "Don't you think?"

"You're a probably right." He answered while trying to have one coherent thought.

How did they get in a taxi? Well… That's a question that neither of them would be able to answer. In fact neither of them would know to explain how they got in their hotel room at two in the morning, being both drunk of wine and lust. The process might have involved some extra money for the taxi and a shocked Italian driver that cursed both of them dramatically during the way back to the hotel, but that's a wild guess. Although the "how's" can't be perfectly clarified, they got to their room locking the door behind them blindly while kissing each other with the need of the thirty.

The pieces of clothing formed a track from the door to one of the beds. Again…twin beds, for a couple that until that very moment hasn't had the chance to explore the final frontier of a friendship. Arya laughed when Jon hit the drawer with his toe while trying to get rid of his boxers. Since he seemed very much distracted cursing his aching toe, she pulled him to the bed, making him sit just to saddle his lap.

She kissed his mouth eagerly and Jon realized that Arya had a very playful way of conducting her passions. She enjoyed the bites and the scratches, probably too much. She also like the teasing and that was getting him anxious and desperate for release; especially when she was gloriously naked on top of him, rubbing her wet folds at the tip of his throbbing cock.

He grabbed her ass with gusto when she bit his neck, pulling her down to receive him inside of her moisture folds. Arya threw her head back slightly, as if searching for the breath she had just lost. Soon she lowered her face so her eyes could look straight at him. She imposed the rhythm, while using his shoulders for support. Jon reclined his back just a bit, sustaining his weight with one hand, while the other rested at the small of Arya's back.

Arya came first, moaning his name in an absurdly erotic way and sending him to edge of his own pleasure. He didn't last much after that. Jon laid back, while Arya rested on top of his body. At the end they were exhausted, breathless and laughing like loons given the circumstances and the lack of space in the bed to accommodate both.

"Best vacations ever." Jon let it escape in the middle of a laugh, making Arya roll her eyes with incredulity.

"I always knew that your grumpiness was all about sexual frustration." She answered in a cocky way. "You know…I nearly gave up my hopes of ever seducing you. Nobody plays dumb as good as you, Jon Snow."

"It's a natural talent, I guess. You have made it quite difficult to play dumb, though." He answered already dozing off. "When we check in at the hotel in Rome, let's make sure they will give us a proper bed."

"Agreed." She yawned minutes after passing out on top of him. Obviously none of them remembered a minor detail about that session of drunken reckless love making. There was no condom involved in the process.

**A.N.: Hey guys! As you can see I got nostalgic again and decided to revisit some of my own experienced in Italy. This one is kind of autobiographic (yes, I've drunk too much and danced a tango at Piazza Di San Marco, but my pair wasn't Jon). This is also an attempt of comedy after so many drama fics. Florence is my favorite city in Italy and I make no secret of it (after writing this chapter I started to look for hotels and tickets to go back). I love the way Italy can make you feel passionate about things and I guess this is what I would like to explore here. I hope you like it and I guess there will be only one more chapter to close the story.**

**I suggest "Postcards from Italy", by Beirut as a soundtrack.**

**Reviews are love. Give me some, will you? ;D**

**Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 2

They woke up in the next morning with the telephone ringing. Jon grabbed the phone mindlessly and tried to understand a word of what the receptionist was saying. Something about late hours and a Mr. Stark in a hurry, all in a heavy Italian accent.

Suddenly Jon opened up his eyes to face the room around him. There were clothes items spread all over the room, a naked Arya Stark sleeping with her head on his chest, while his own head was aching terribly. What the hell?!

"Arya! Arya wake up!" He called her. Actually he nearly made her fall of the bed while trying to get up and get dressed.

"Five minutes, mom." She answered sleepy. Jon poked her in her belly, making her kick up the air, and nearly his nose.

"I'm not Cat Stark and you better get up from this bed right now before we lose the train. Robb is downstairs about to kill someone."

"The someone will be you, if he ever dreams about what we did." She replied lazily, with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Fuck!" Jon cursed while zipping up his pants.

"Yes, we did." She said it with the biggest smile Jon had ever seen in her face.

It took about five minutes to then to get dressed and presentable at the reception, where they met Robb and Jeyne. Needless to say that Robb was neurotic with the possibility of losing their train to Rome and messing up with the whole plans for the day.

Jon was positively sure the Jeyne suspected something when she saw him and Arya at the hotel. He wondered if there was any lipstick marks on his collar, or something like that. Once they took the train to Rome, Jon allowed himself to think about the other night and the dimension that could take if Robb found out.

Sure they were both adults and totally free to do what and who they damn wanted, but still…He wasn't absolutely secure that Robb would be as ok with that as he tried to sound. Arya was Robb's baby sister after all, and Jon was…Well, he was Jon; part of the scenario, a brother like figure, maybe gay, or at least that was what the Starks thought about him.

He was admiring the landscapes and sight from Tuscany to Rome when he felt Arya's hand on his leg, tempting moving up to his tights. As if he didn't had enough trouble trying to ignore the proximity between them and the urge to touch her again, while Robb was looking at them with the eyes of a falcon. Jon took a deep breath before holding her hand in his own.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked in a hushed low tone.

"It happens that I've just remembered something quite important." She replied and something in her voice called his attention. "We forgot to wrap up the present. I mean…You forgot."

As if things weren't difficult enough just the way they were. Jon felt a knot forming in his throat. Holly Mother of God (he was definitely converting to Catholicism at this point, or would be converted soon enough if a pray on a church would solve that problem).

"I thought you had taken your…Headache pills." He said feeling the waves of panic building inside him.

"That's a hell of an accurate description of them. I'm not on pills since Gendry, for fuck's sake, and since you were pretty much ignoring all of my attempts of getting under your pants I thought I wouldn't need them."

"What do we do now?" Jon asked and judging the way Arya rolled her eyes, he was sure that his face looked pretty much ridiculous.

"Look for a pharmacy as soon as we arrive in Rome would be the natural course of things." She answered in a practical tone.

"Look at you, full of whispers and secrets. One might wonder what is actually going on here." Jeyne's voice dragged them both back to reality and to the fact that they were calling for too much attention since they woke up that morning.

Jon's eyes got wide open, while Arya put up her best version of the "Virgin Mary rebirthed" face, all innocence and purity. Jeyne was looking at them with a brow raised and a smirk on her lips, while Robb was soundly asleep with his face pressed against the window.

"I'm not dumb, you know? And you…Stop looking at me as if you were five years old and just broke your mom's favorite china." Jeyne said pointing her finger to Arya. "I'm not telling Robb anything. Let the poor thing live in denial for now, but I'm really interested to know what the hell is going on."

Jon tried to come up with some kind of plausible excuse that could lead Jeyne to the wrong conclusion, but his mind just went blank. The only thing he could think about was Robb listening to their conversation and seeing that the obvious was going on between his best friend and his little sister.

"Do you have one of those miracle things that we take for morning after solutions by any chance?" Arya asked bluntly. Talk about long story short. "Someone here forgot to think with the upper head last night."

"Arya!" Jon protested immediately, divided between the shock of the sudden revelation or the indignation for taking all the blame like that.

Jeyne rolled her eyes before looking straightly at Jon as if she was looking to the dumbest being that ever walked the Earth. Well…He was feeling like that already and Arya wasn't helping.

"Unfortunately no. You'll have to find somewhere to buy it once we arrive in Rome." Jeyne hit Jon's head with a rolled magazine she was reading minutes ago. "You idiot!"

"I wasn't alone in that, you know?" Jon complained. "Why don't you hit her too?"

"Female solidarity and Arya is nearly family to me, which you should have considered for a moment. Robb will deal with the news as if you two where Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia."

"I told you to keep him away from Netfilx!" Arya complained rolling her eyes dramatically. Well…Things couldn't go worse than that, could they?

After an hour and a half they arrived in Rome under the shiny Italian sun. Rome was all ancient rocks and ruins, all power, opulence and polished marble. There were thousands of tourists flocking the streets and making the city even hotter. He could kill for some cool water and a sweet breeze, but that wouldn't happen so soon. Not when he and Arya had to solve the problem of a reckless night and weird morning after.

They checked in at the hotel, while Jeyne distracted Robb with some brochures about the touristic attractions. Jon asked for a room with a bed that could easily fit the whole Stark family on it. Well…Since he couldn't get any more screwed than he already was, Jon was determinate to make the most of his time with Arya.

First things first, he decided. He had to find a way to buy Arya a _pilula del giorno dopo_, as Italians called the medication, but as soon as he asked to the receptionist where he could it he realized that they weren't at England anymore which could make this task drastically more difficult than it should.

The receptionist made the sign of the cross as soon as Jon asked him about it. He noticed, probably too late that the guy had a crucifix in a golden chain around his neck and despite the daily contact with tourists Rome was still Rome and the Vatican was just a few steps away from them.

"_La donna_…The lady, I mean…She will have to see a doctor. You can't buy such a thing without a nominal prescription." The receptionist told him with blunt displeasure. "You'll find an E.R. two blocks away from here, or we can call a doctor for you."

"That would be perfect. Please call the doctor while we take the luggage upstairs and…I need total discretion about this." Jon insisted while ignoring the glare of obvious reproach that the receptionist gave him.

"Of course…" The man answered while turning his back to Jon. "Godless man." He cursed as soon as he thought that he could no longer be heard.

Panic was growing by the hour within him and so far Jon had managed to get his nerves under control, but that was only until he got to their room and Arya locked the door behind him. That was all it took for him to give into despair. What if the pill didn't work? What if they couldn't get a pill in the first place?

He sat on the king size bed, holding his head in his hands as if it could fall at any minute. He was far too worried to notice Arya sitting by his side and putting her arms around his shoulder. Jon raised his head just to look at her. If Arya had any drop of reason in her, she would be already desperate about their situation, but that wasn't the case. The world could fall apart and Arya Stark would be calm like still water. Not that she couldn't be impulsive, but Arya had a coolness to deal with drastic and delicate situations, like a survival instinct.

"I don't know how you can be so calm right now." Jon said while putting his hand on her arm, as if he wanted to keep her close to him, no matter what.

"Do you really think that me being nervous and unleashing hell around me would do us any good? Someone has to think here, and since it's my body…" She said just before kissing him.

"I guess you are right." He sighted. "What if things don't go as expected?"

"We can always pray, I guess." She laughed lightly while mussing up his hair. "Come on, caveman. Don't be like that. There's actually a possibility that soon this day will become a laugh stock between us. Besides, I've always thought that you wanted children."

"I do want children, but not like this." He said nervously. "I don't even know what we are at the moment. I mean…You have a life ahead of you and tons of things to do before becoming a mom, and we were just two friends with a lot of unsettled sexual tension between us only yesterday."

"Is that what we are now? Only friends?" She asked and there was no expectation, no pressure in the way she asked that. It was as if Arya was giving him all the space to deal with the matter in the way he thought to be comfortable.

"Not on my part." He said immediately.

"Good." She said just before giving him a kiss on his lips. "We could make use of this bed now, you know? Robb and Jeyne are probably doing the same in their room right now and since we can't get any more screwed that we already are…It would be a shame to waste the opportunity."

"What if the doctor arrives?" He asked while Arya climbed on his lap to unbutton his shirt and kiss him properly.

"Let him wait while you give Ceasar what is Ceasar's." Her hand was already halfway to his pants when someone knocked the door.

Arya rolled her eyes and cursed whoever might be disturbing them. Jon, on the other hand, was somehow relieved since his performance would be far from ideal while he kept thinking about everything that could go wrong because of his lack of precaution. While Arya walked away from the bed to open the door, Jon admired her figure moving. She had a lightness in the way she walked, it matched her laugh and her naughty eyes.

He really liked her and the realization of it came to him like an electroshock. Arya had always been there, giving some color to his dull days. She was part of the scenario; she was like a photograph on top of his fireplace reminding him of his favorite things in the world. Her smile, her eyes, her wicked sense of humor and appetite for trouble; those were his favorite things.

Maybe one day he could consider the idea of making her Mrs. Snow and have several Snowflakes with her to cool the world down, but that was a thought for another time. First they had to deal with the problem they had in hands, and then think about how to break the news to Robb. He realized the he might not survive the second part.

The doctor was a young woman with dark hair and eyes hidden behind glasses. She seemed friendly and spoke English with minimum Italian accent interference. She greeted them both before turning to Arya with curious eyes.

"I'm Doctor Rossetti. So…What are you feeling, dear?" The doctor asked before grabbing her stethoscope to exam Arya.

Arya muffled a laugh before looking at the doctor again, while Jon got as red as tomato. The doctor looked at them curiously, while Jon tried to not die of mortification. How embarrassing that talk could be?

"I'm not actually feeling ill, but the receptionist told us that I would need a prescription to get a certain medicine." Arya answered. "You see…We had been a tad reckless and now I need a…Pilula del giorno dopo?" Arya had a thing for new languages, but her attempt of speaking Italian made the doctor laugh.

Jon was feeling mortified with the situation, especially with that doctor looking at him as if he was a naughty child that stole a cookie from the cookie jar. Well, he was actually feeling like a child that stole the cookie, but she had no right to judge him for it!

"These things happen." The doctor answered with a sympathetic smile at Arya. "I can imagine Giovanni's face when you asked him about it. Are you aware of the effects of the pill? They can be uncomfortable and I can't prescribe it if you had made use of it in the last six months."

"I'm aware of it and I've never taken any before. Just give me the prescription so we can deal with it as soon as possible." Arya said straight away, making the doctor laugh lightly.

Doctor Rossetti wrote down the prescription and Jon decided that it must be imperative to have an illegible calligraphy in order to become a doctor, even in Italy. She talked with Arya bout the dosage and the side effects and gave her a card with an emergency number if Arya needed anything.

"I just have to add one more thing." The doctor said before leaving the room. "Make sure you won't need it again when you visit Italy. You might found out that there are many pharmaceutics that refuse to sell those pills. It can cause an awful amount of trouble."

"They can actually do that?!" Jon opened up his mouth in front of the doctor for the first time.

"This is a question that still raises a lot of issues here. Legally you have the right to buy it, but there are those who claim they have the right to refuse to sell because of their consciences." Doctor Rossetti sighted. "Anyway…If anyone refuses to sell it to you, make the person write the reason for the refusal and take it to the local court as soon as possible. Ciao."

Said that Doctor Rossetti exit the room, leaving behind a terrified couple. Jon looked at Arya and it was needless to say anything when she could read "WTF!" all over his face. They jumped out of the bed, grabbing their things along the way.

That was how the quest for the pill began.

They had imagined that Jeyne and Robb would be locked up inside their room, practicing for their wedding night. Of course that hadn't happened. When Jon and Arya got to the reception Robb was there with Jeyne, complaining about the price of some excursion to the Vatican.

Jon tried to distract Robb, or maybe get some help from Jeyne to get to the nearest pharmacy to buy the damn thing, but all to no avail. Robb was determinate to go to Trastevere to have lunch, before going to the Roman Forum and the Coliseum. It was plain enough that they would have to find a pharmacy on the way and pray to the attendant to be a very open-minded one.

Arya was getting anxious and with good reason to. Her eyes were wide and she was over reacting to everything. Jon put his arm around her shoulders, deciding to ignore if Robb was paying attention or not to the sudden change in their behavior. She was as afraid as him, but they should deal with it together.

They got to a restaurant in Trastevere but before they could enter it, Arya spotted a pharmacy a few steps away. She poked him to show what she just found and Jon couldn't help the feeling of relief.

"I'm going to the pharmacy while you guys pick up a table for us." Arya said immediately.

"I'll go with you." Jeyne replied before winking at Jon.

"Can't you girls wait until we have eaten? I'm starving!" Robb asked grumpily. His mood had soured since they left Florence that day.

"Not really. Girl problems generally don't wait, you know. We need some supplies and stop being so needy. You and Jon can go inside and order while we go buy our stuff." Jeyne replied while giving Robb an almost murderous look.

"Fine." Robb groaned rolling his eyes. "I'll go with you. I need a new razor anyway. I'm starting to look like a red bear."

"We can buy it for you." Arya answered while her face got pale. "Go ahead. Order lunch for us. Jon know what I like anyway."

"But Jeyne never picks up the right razor. You know that I have allergies." Robb insisted, ignoring all the tense faces around him. Jon could swear that sometimes the only thing he wanted was to punch Robb's face just for being so obnoxious.

All of them went to the pharmacy in the end. Judging by Arya's face, he could tell that the idea of committing fratricide was sounding really appealing to her. Jeyne on the other hand was looking at them apologetically. Not that she had reason to, Robb could be absurdly annoying from time to time and it seemed that he had chosen that particular day to display his talent.

They got to the pharmacy and Jon tried to keep Robb entertained with the razors and other stuff, while Arya and Jeyne went to the balcony to ask for the pill. Jon realized that he could take the opportunity to buy some shampoo and condoms, just in case.

"Hahah! Finally you are thinking like a single man!" Robb's voice sounded over his shoulder as soon as his friend spotted the condoms in his hand. "How's the lucky girl? Someone at the hotel?"

"Kind of... There's this girl looking my way at the hotel and I guess I might take my chances with her. Who knows?" Jon lied bluntly. Kind of…Arya was at the same hotel after all and she was looking his way since ever.

"You better hurry up. It's high time for you to find your Mrs. Snow." Robb punched him on his left arm. "I hope that Arya won't spoil things for you. That girl should really get over her crush on you."

Jon wanted to laugh at his face there and then. If he only knew that Jon was already thinking about a potential Mrs. Snow and that the ideal candidate was precisely Arya Stark. It was for the best to live Robb with his denial. It was safer.

Jon was lost in his own thought when suddenly he heard a very passionate discussion. He turned his head to see what was going on just to face Arya and Jeyne arguing with another woman with a white medical coat.

The woman was about fifty-something, stout and short, with her glasses almost falling from her nose. Her face was bright red with indignation and whatever she was saying to the girls, it was surely not good. Robb went straightly to the balcony to aid his fiancée and his baby sister. That was the exact moment that Jon knew things would turn ugly.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Robb asked in a higher tone than the one he usually used. Italy was definitively adding a twist of drama to every one's life.

"Just a misunderstanding, I suppose." Jeyne told him before Robb could speak with the woman. "She doesn't speak English very well."

"No misunderstanding, _signora._" The woman replied in a heavy Italian accent. "I told you that I don't sell this sinful thing."

"What is she talking about?" Robb asked confused while looking at Jeyne and Arya.

"This! I won't sell it! I have the right to refuse!" The woman waved a piece of paper at Robb's face angrily.

Robb took the paper from the woman's hand before either Jon or Arya could stop him of doing so. Jon prayed for it to be written in Italian so his friend wouldn't understand a thing about it, but the very much helpful doctor Rossetti had written the prescription both in Italian and English.

Soon Robb's face turned from a lightly sunburned white skin to a bright red one. Seriously, he was of the color of his ginger hair, while his blues eyes got wide and furious. He looked like someone about to combust. He looked immediately at Arya and if eyes could kill, that one would be a serial killer.

"Can you explain that?!" He shouted at her. Again…Italy, the heat, the drama. Robb was starting to believe that he was Italian.

"I'm sure you can read it, brother dear. I also know that you and Jeyne had made use of it before, so don't even try to go full big-brother-mode-on on me." Arya stood her ground and answered Robb as if she didn't care an iota about his fit; which in fact she didn't.

Robb stared at his sister with his jaw tight and eyes that could kill, but said nothing about Arya's motives. Jon thought it would be the end of it and got almost relieved at the perspective. Maybe Robb wouldn't be a major problem after all. Instead of throwing his anger at Arya, he chose to talk with the pharmaceutic instead, asking for someone else to attend his sister, since the woman was obviously not going to cooperate.

Another pharmaceutic was called and after several minutes of discussion, the guy agreed to sell the pill. Apparently they weren't eager to risk a never ending discussion in court because of a damn pill and they were godless tourists.

The problem seemed to be solved and Jon was mesmerized at the absence of Robb's reaction about him and Arya being together. After such a hurry, Jon was more the eager to have a decent meal and take Arya back to the hotel and spent some time cuddling, kissing and simply not worrying about if he would or would not be a father.

It might have been the exhaustion of the trip, or maybe the stress of the sudden realization that his baby sister had an active sex life, but the fact is that Robb haven't asked himself who was the mysterious partner of Arya Stark, nor made the connection between the pill and the amount of condoms the Jon had bought. No…He hadn't seen the obvious and only Jeyne seemed to be aware of this tiny detail.

It took a walk to the restaurant to make Robb see the light, or the treason. It hit him like a lightning, like a punch in the stomach. Jon had turned to ask Arya about what they should do that night when the realization settled within Robb and before Jon could even see what was happening a punch landed on his face.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" He shouted while trying to stop the bleeding on his nose.

Arya immediately got between him and Robb. Her brother as all red again; red and furious, with his nostrils dilated and eyes as big as a plate. GOSH! He could be a total drama queen sometimes.

"Are you fucking out of your mind, Robb?!" She hissed punching him on his chest. Not that it would have any effect, but she had to support Jon anyway.

"It's him, isn't it?!" Robb groaned at her, while trying to reach Jon again. "He is the one fucking you! You damn bastard! How could you do this?!"

"Not your business, big bro. I'm an adult and I can do whomever I want, just for you to know. And yes, it's Jon and he is a perfect gentleman about it which is more than I can say about now, you fucking Neanderthal!" Arya roared at him. At this time Jon was already by her side. The bleeding in his nose had already stopped. Jeyne was holding Robb's arm as tight as she could, as if it would stop him to attack Jon again.

"You shouldn't be complaining about it, you know?" Jon said finally. "You were the one who said that if she wanted something nobody would be able to stop her. And better me than Theon, don't you think?"

"Eew! Theon?! I'll have to wash my brain to get over this image!" Arya replied with a face, making Jeyne and Jon laugh, while Robb still looked like someone that swallowed a shoe.

"You betrayed my trust! She's my little sister and you are…You are Jon Snow, for fuck sake! You don't have adventures with random girls during your vacations. You want the whole thing; girl, dog, a bunch of kids. What the hell is happening here?!" Robb started to babble like a loon, making Arya laugh out loud about his poor mental state. Jon rolled his eyes. Seriously?! Robb just forgot to add gay to the mix of preconceived ideas that all of the Starks had about him.

"First of all, it's Arya we are talking about and not some random girl. Show some respect here." Jon said it in a tone that gave Robb no room to discussion. "Second; who said that I want an adventure? Arya had always been my friend and well…Thanks to this damn trip I realized how fucking crazy I am about her. Third; you can blame yourself for it. If you hadn't supported her attempts of dragging me here, I would never realize the amazing woman she is. You've thought that I would never try anything because sometimes you forget that I'm not a Stark, but that your problem. I'm not your brother. I am your friend and I fell in love with your sister. It's hardly the end of the world. We were reckless last night, and we are trying to deal with the consequences in the most responsible way. Deal with it."

"I love this prince charming complex that you have." Arya said just before kissing his cheek. "Well said, caveman."

Robb opened and closed his mouth several time while he tried to come up with some answer to Jon's brave speech. All to no avail, though. He took the time to look at them together and Arya seemed to be happy, and Jon was…He was Jon with a smile, which was something you don't see every day.

"Can we eat now? I'm starving!" Jeyne finally spoke the words of wisdom and all of them entered the restaurant to have a bite.

After lunch they took the time to visit the Coliseum and the Fontana Di Trevi. Obviously Robb would need some time to digest the news and to come to terms with the notion that Jon was Arya's new boyfriend. Jon guessed that Robb was probably counting on Arya's flipping humor and lack of patience to deal with her boyfriend so that flirt would be nothing than a summer love.

Jon knew her nature and had seen boys come and go in her life. He was trying to not think about the future and what might become of them. They were young and they had time, and they would always have Italy to go back to. There would always be stars, wine, and Italy to keep that opera going on.

At night Robb and Jeyne retired to their room. Needless to say that Robb was craving for the comfort and familiarity of Jeyne's arms after such troublesome day. Arya took the pills and Jon invited her to have dinner at the Piazza Navona.

She was once more Arya Stark. The young woman with vermilion half smile and nails painted in black. His girl, he would like to say but it was probably too soon. He took her hand and they walked all the way to the Piazza, enjoying the sight to the Castelo Sant'Angelo and the river. Rome was even hotter than Florence had been, but Jon couldn't care less.

They were near the piazza and neither of them was hungry yet. Arya kissed him tenderly, taking her time to savor him as much as she wanted. Jon wrapped his arms around her waist, enjoying every single moment of that kiss. It felt just right. They were exactly where they were meant to be. When she parted the kiss she was smiling at him. He took a curl of his hair on her finger and started to play with it mindlessly.

"What would we do if I hadn't bought that pill?" She finally asked and by the tone of her voice Jon could say that she had been worrying about it for quite a long time now. He took her by the hand and they sat by one of the fountains in the Piazza.

"I would support you no matter what decision you would take, if it's that what you are worried about." Jon said calmly. "You know, I really don't mind to become a father. I have a good job, my parents leave me a house in their will. I could provide a comfortable life to any child, so that wouldn't really be a problem; but it does not mean that you are ready for this and I agree that it's hardly the right time to think about it. First you have to think about college and a career. Meanwhile, we keep on dating and that will be just fine."

"You really want the whole thing, don't you? I mean; a wife, children, a house. That's you goal, isn't it?" She asked still worried. "It's kind of scary."

"I'm not asking you anything, Arya. I'm happy to have you by my side and if things go well, maybe one day we'll talk about those things, but not now… For now I want my carbs, my wine and you." He kissed her again.

"Do you think Robb will accept things between us after that punch?" She asked between a kiss and another. Jon muffled a laugh.

"He already has. Robb just got carried by the Italian drama. I he wanted to hurt me, he would have. Rickon would be able to give me a stronger punch. Seriously…Cat and Ned are the ones that scare me the most. You're Ned's little girl and everyone knows that, while Cat Stark have never really made an effort to conceal her hate for me."

"My mother doesn't hate you." Arya said laughing. "You are seeing things."

"Oh but she does. I guess she always knew that one day I would take her baby girl away."

"Well…She was right about that." Arya kissed him one more time. Suddenly they both had to agree that Italy had been a hell of an idea. Best vacations ever.

A.N.: I know...No smutt here, but I guess it was for a good cause. There was too much story to develop and my focus was the comedy and the ridiculous situations. I was happy to see more of Robb and Jeyne in this chapter too. About the whole pills saga…I actually made a research about the Italian policy of contraception and as a lawyer I can only conclude that it's a troublesome one in which concerns emergency contraception. If there's any Italian reader out there, please send me a private message. I would love to know more about this topic, especially because my post-grad thesis has some connection with it. I had no intention to be disrespectful in my description and I hope that nobody got offended by it.

Since there was very little about Jon and Arya in this chapter I decided to be nice and write one more chapter. Brace yourselves, there's a time gap coming and a Stark reunion.

Trivia: My family is Italian descended and the Italian surname is Rossetti (like the doctor).

I hope you enjoy and leave me some reviews.

Bee


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